A Royal Distraction

by Daphne James Huff

  Alix smiled without commenting.

  “Well, I don’t want to keep you long, but I did want to tell you that your mother and I discussed your plan to help the queen with her charities this year, but we don’t think that’s the best use of her time.”

  “What?” Alix was surprised. Her parents were the ones who had set it all up, excited to have a reason to see the queen more often. Alix was happy to help her family, and to have a distraction from her nervous waiting. She’d secretly applied for an internship with the Refugee Medical Alliance, and was expecting a response any day now.

  “Well, you did so well at school, it seemed a shame for you not to continue studying a bit while you’re here,” he went on. “The University of Prynesse has one of the best medical departments in Europe. We spoke with the Dean about giving you a place for this year.”

  A huge smile lit Alix’s face. The thought of continuing her studies was exciting – she loved research and time in the lab. She almost sighed in relief. If the RMA program didn’t accept her, she would have been without a plan, stuck doing charity work not just this year, but her whole life, until someone decided to marry her.

  Then, her stomach began to churn.

  “What do you mean ‘giving me a place’?” she asked her father, trying to keep her tone even. “Don’t I have to apply like everyone else?”

  “Sweetie, this isn’t New York,” he told her, putting a gentle arm around her shoulders. “You don’t need things like that here. You worked hard, we all know it, so now you can do whatever you want.”

  This sat uneasily with Alix, but she didn’t say anything. It was nice being here with her parents, after so many years of seeing them off and on. She didn’t want to upset her father when he was so clearly pleased with his idea to help her, even if it wasn’t what exactly what she had planned.

  If the RMA internship came through, she’d be able to leave Prynesse for good, and start her real life with a real career, trying to make a real difference. She didn’t believe what Duncan had said, that all of this charity stuff made a difference. He was just looking for an easy life, like what her father thought she wanted, too. This was why she needed to get away. No one here really understood her. She just had to get through the summer, and then she would either be off to school again or to the RMA program.

  Finally, she smiled at her father.

  “Thanks, Papa,” she said, hugging him.

  “Of course, my dear,” he replied, holding her close.

  “Oh,” he said in surprise, taking her hand as they pulled out of the embrace. “Where’s that lovely bangle I gave you?”

  Damn Duncan! Why couldn’t he have sent someone to return it this morning? It was her favorite piece, something to keep her parents close to her whenever they were away. She’d need it again soon.

  “It didn’t match this dress,” she said simply.

  He nodded, accepting this.

  They headed back onto the veranda, but Duncan was nowhere to be seen. Now she’d have to seek him out to get it back, as she suspected had been his intention from the start.

  Chapter 4

  Duncan found himself standing outside of Alix’s rooms after dinner that evening. He had been planning on letting her come to him for the bangle, but felt a pull toward her that he couldn’t explain. It was unusual, and intriguing, for his charms to have so little effect on someone. He could be patient, however. He would ask her to the children’s hospital gala the following week, to try again. If she refused, he would know she definitely wasn’t interested. It hadn’t happened before, but he’d respect it. He never did anything a noble woman didn’t ask for; his sister would have roasted him ages ago if he ever had.

  Any notion of respect flew out of his mind, however, the second she answered the door. She was wearing the shortest pajama bottoms he’d ever seen, and the thinnest of tank tops. Her long, dark hair was piled up on top of her head and the surprise at seeing him there was evident in her deep, chocolate-brown eyes.

  “I… I came to give you this,” he stammered, holding out the bangle. He shoved his hands in his pockets the second she took it from him, unsettled by the strong reaction he was having to seeing her. It was usually the other way around.

  She smiled a genuinely happy smile, and placed it back on her wrist.

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” she tilted her head.

  “Duncan,” he blurted out, fumbling over his words in response to her gorgeous smile. “You can call me Duncan.”

  Another smile, though less enthusiastic than the first. His own smile dropped for just a moment.

  “Is that all, Duncan?” she asked impatiently, looking over her shoulder.

  “I wanted to ask you something,” he said, finally finding his relaxed and confident tone.

  “Fine, come in for a moment then,” she said, stepping aside. He brushed past her, his arm grazing hers, and it took everything in him not to wrap his arms around her and show her what she’d missed by walking away the other night.

  He stopped short when he came in, not expecting the clean, organized scene that greeted him. When the countesses and other nobles stayed at the palace, even for a weekend, they usually took over the guest apartments. They made the rooms their own, with bright, feminine colors, and magazines and shoes strewn everywhere.

  Alix had only brought a few personal items, all of which were placed carefully on the desk and bookshelves. Through the open bedroom door, he saw a pale green comforter. Matching pillows and blanket were laid neatly on the couch, giving the entire apartment a fresh, clean feeling. Everything was tidied away, except a letter on the desk, and a book on the coffee table.

  “It’s all so clean,” he said, amazed. “You must ask the maids to come all the time.”

  “Um, no,” she said, her eyebrows drawing together. “I can keep it clean myself. I don’t like them touching my things.”

  Duncan arched one of his own eyebrows, unsure if he was impressed or incredulous.

  “Clean yourself? What on earth do you mean?”

  “I mean, I don’t leave my clothes on the floor, I put away the books and movies that I take out, and I try not to leave food everywhere. It’s not that hard. You should try it. Give your maids a break.”

  That was their job, though, Duncan almost said, but bit his tongue. He had known from the moment he met her that Alix wasn’t like the others, but he hadn’t realized quite how much so. He felt his interest grow beyond what was under the thin tank top, and found himself eager to learn more about her.

  “You have something to ask me?” she asked, glancing at her desk. A letter sat there; he must have interrupted her reading it.

  His heart was suddenly pounding in his chest. Why was this so hard? He’d asked girls to accompany him before… But he was always entirely sure that they would sleep with him at the end of the night. Was that all he wanted with her? Looking at her fierce gaze while she waited for his answer, thinking of how different she was, he wasn’t so sure.

  “There’s a gala ball for the children’s hospital next Wednesday night,” he finally managed to get out, much louder than he’d intended. “I want you to accompany me.”

  “Is that a request, or an order from His Highness?” she raised her eyebrow in response to his tone.

  “A request, Alix,” he said, gentler. She softened at this, her shoulders and stance relaxing.

  A few long minutes passed as she considered his request. He walked around her living room, running his hands along the white, clean furniture, picking up the knick-knacks that she’d brought with her.

  This seemed to agitate her, and she followed him around, putting things back in their original places. He smiled to himself. She wanted to say yes, he could tell. But she’d be giving up control that she clearly wanted. He stopped moving around the room and stood by the open balcony doors. As he turned to face her, he saw her shiver at the cool night air coming in and moved to close them. He thought of her shivering under his touch and closed his eyes brief
ly, concentrating on the task at hand. First he had to get her to go out with him.

  “Helena can help you find something suitable to wear, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “No, I don’t need help,” she said, fiddling with the bangle that once again sat on her wrist.

  “You’re not still studying, are you?” he said, with a slight chuckle. “University is over, you can relax and have some fun.”

  “No, that’s not it.”

  She said nothing else for a moment and brought a hand to her mouth as if to bite her nails, before returning her hand to her side, looking everywhere around the room except at him.

  “So that’s a no?” he said, almost succeeding in keeping the disappointment out of his voice. He quickly discarded his earlier rule of accepting a no to the invitation, his mind quickly searching for other events she might be interested in attending.

  “No – I mean, yes. I mean…” She glanced at the closed balcony doors and took a deep breath. “I’ll go.”

  His heart leapt against his chest and he beamed.

  A wicked grin suddenly spread across her face.

  “Only if you give your maid a day off,” she declared, the fire back in her eyes as they locked with his.

  His face fell. Conditions? This was unexpected. But so was everything about her. That’s what was so intriguing.

  “Deal,” he said, with a wink and a smile that elicited a satisfying sharp intake of breath from Alix. He turned to leave before she could make him promise anything else. He had a feeling that with her, he’d agree to almost anything.

  Chapter 5

  Alix closed the door on Duncan, a bit surprised at her willingness to spend more time with him. He had interrupted her in the middle of making a very important decision, and she didn’t like interruptions. Still, he could have sent someone to give her the bangle instead of coming in person, and he’d seemed almost nervous at first, it was kind of sweet. While she’d been eager for him to leave, so she could get back to her letter, she thought about what he’d said about fun.

  It was true that she wasn’t at university anymore, and it would be nice to have some fun this summer, to break up all of the events she was scheduled to attend. She had been so focused on school the past four years that she’d had only one or two minor flings with classmates. Nothing serious. She hadn’t even bothered telling Stella about them.

  She thought of the way Duncan had looked at her when she’d opened the door in her tiny shorts and tank top. He’d had nearly the same effect on her, in his tight grey t-shirt that hinted at the broad chest and muscled abs below. Yes, spending some time with Duncan would be very fun this summer.

  Alix walked around her room, putting the things that Duncan had moved back into place. Her room was clean and organized; everything was exactly the way that she liked it. She hadn’t told Duncan the whole truth – she did have the maids clean the bathroom and do laundry and everything like that. She just made sure that her clothes and shoes and things were tidied away as much as possible. She didn’t like people touching her stuff. But she may as well enjoy the luxuries while she had them.

  She came back to her desk, and to the letter she had been reading. It was the letter she had been waiting weeks for, telling her that she was accepted into the Refugee Medical Alliance’s yearlong internship program. They would train her onsite, and she would see more in a year than most doctors saw during their entire residencies. Most stayed a second year to learn even more. It was an amazing opportunity.

  But would she go? She flopped on the couch, curled up in her favorite green blanket, which she’d brought back from New York, and started a mental list of pros and cons.

  Pro: This program would guarantee her acceptance to practically any medical school in the world.

  Con: Her parents would be furious.

  Pro: She wouldn’t have to live at the palace for the next year, doing charity work and attending classes with the same shallow and boring people she’d been avoiding her whole life.

  Con: She’d miss her parents a lot more than she ever had in New York. It would mean an entire year without seeing them, maybe more.

  Alix felt the sharp pang of a cramp in her foot from the awkward position that her leg was in. She stood and stretched out, heading back to the desk. She saw the tiny basket that her father had brought her from one of his business trips. This was all they had to sell in some countries, making pennies that were barely enough for food. She couldn’t even begin to imagine such a hard life. That was neither a pro nor a con, but simply a big reason to go: She knew that she needed to see more of the world than just the palace and Manhattan’s Upper West Side if she really wanted to be able to help people.

  It made her sick to think of choosing this life of luxury like her parents wanted her to, like Duncan seemed content with, when there was so much suffering in the world. She could really make a difference. Unlike the ridiculous women at the tea parties, living their perfect lives and feeling a sense of accomplishment from donating mere fractions of their immense wealth.

  Alix nodded to herself, firm in her decision, and took out a sheet of paper to draft her acceptance. She always wrote on paper before writing important emails; there was less risk of hitting the send button before she was ready. And, she’d have to get used to writing lots of letters in longhand over the next year. She had no idea where they’d be sending her, and how much access she’d have to luxuries like the Internet and running water.

  She paused halfway through, wondering briefly if she’d be writing to Duncan. Of course not, she told herself, shaking her head at her lapse into a royal reverie Stella would be proud of. His invitation was clearly just an excuse to get her into bed. And, now that she was leaving, she’d have no reason not to have as much carefree fun as she liked. No risk of affection, no danger of attaching herself to a man she clearly didn’t need to be successful. She thought of her father, assuming she needed his help to get into the university here, when she’d gotten into a much more difficult program on her own.

  She stopped writing, biting her nails – a bad habit when she was nervous. Her parents were so happy she was here, looking forward to having her close for a few years. This would be more difficult than she thought. How would she tell them?

  She put the letter aside, telling herself that she’d finish it in a few days. There was no rush; they needed an answer by the end of the month. She had time to figure out what to tell them. In the meantime, she had a function to shop for. She hadn’t been totally honest with Duncan about needing help to shop. Alix had been away for so many years, and hadn’t yet attended many functions since returning. Helena had seemed nice enough the previous night, maybe she’d take Duncan up on his offer and see if she could help her find something appropriate.

  Chapter 6

  Arriving at the hospital gala on Duncan’s arm was quite the new experience for Alix. Thank goodness it was at a private estate, she thought to herself, and no paparazzi were out front. It was one of the smaller manor houses, but the gardens were extensive. Alix breathed in the small of fresh-cut grass, so absent in the city, and certainly absent from her New York memories.

  She looked around at all of the rich, out on display. The countesses were all in short, summer dresses that cost more than some cars. Countless jealous eyes landed on Alix the second she walked in. She ignored them, for the most part. After all, she was just there to have fun. They could have their turn once she had left for her internship.

  “Hi, Alix,” Helena said warmly as they walked over to greet her. Alix couldn’t help smiling back, still surprised at how nice and normal the princess seemed. While she hadn’t had time to go out shopping with her, Helena had called and graciously advised her on the expected attire for tonight. It had been a huge relief to Alix; Stella was too distracted at the moment to be of any help to her best friend.

  Speak of the devil, she thought, spying Stella with Anton from afar. Alix waved hello, pleased that her help the previous week at
the club had been useful in getting her friend closer to what she wanted. While she had expected to see a bit more of her best friend this summer, Alix of all people could understand how being focused on a goal could distract you from other things.

  She felt Duncan’s arm around her waist and he led her over to his brother Leo, the crown prince.

  “Your Highness,” she said, tilting her head. He flashed a dazzling smile in reply.

  He certainly looked more like a future king than Duncan, with his expertly coiffed hair and smart suit. Duncan was more... rough around the edges was a good way to put it. Still expensively dressed and manicured, of course. But Leo held himself like a prince. Duncan held himself like everything was a party. Which, in a way; it was for him.

  Helena took a break from hostess duties to come stand with her brothers.

  “Why did you choose the children’s hospital for your main charity?” Alix asked. Each of the four siblings were expected to attach their name and support to a principal charity. Leo and Anton both supported different museums. Duncan hadn’t chosen his yet.

  “My sister did the interior decoration after their last renovation,” explained Duncan, before Helena could answer. “She did an excellent job.”

  Helena beamed at the praise. She went on to explain that because of the high concentration of specialists in Prynesse, many foreigners brought their children to the hospital for treatment. Duncan jumped in to explain that the new wing would help house those who needed financial help.

  “You certainly know a lot about it,” said Alix, amazed. She hadn’t expected him to know anything more than what would be available at the bar.

  He shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

  “It’s my job to know about these charities,” he said simply. “I need to choose one to support soon. It’s only natural that I learn as much as I can about them.”